THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1912. MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10718, 27 September 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1912. MEDICAL INSPECTION OF SCHOOLS.

The Government has decided to at once introduce the system of medical inspection of school children, and several lady doctors will this week commence in the different provinces. The Wellington Education. Board was advised on Tuesday th;it Dr Elizabeth Glum would make a start at once with the children attend-, ing the Normal School in Wellington. Thereafter the schools in the vicinity of the Training College will be taken in order, and a systematic inspection will be made. The Inspector-General of Schools has drawn up the following schedule of duties for the inspector:— 1. Training College Students (second year).—(a) To lecture on scliod] hygiene—especially on the teacher's share in filling up the personal cards (a) and special cards (n) and (c), to begin, if possible, about September 23rd. (b) To inspect, medically all the children in the Normal School attached to the Training College, j taking in turning with him or her ; four or five students of the second year, who will under his or her direction, fill up tho cards and be taught 'how to observe such physi- j cal defects as a teacher might rea- j soiiably lie expected to observe, ex- ' amine physically the second-year students infants and girls, (c) To take the students round the buildings and point out the essentials and defects of buildings, furniture, lighting, heating, etc. (d) To examine physically tho second-year students as required by the regulations for teachers' certificates. Lectures twice a week; inspections twice a week; time in 1912, five weeks. 2. To visit during tho same five weeks (three days a week) the schools withta easy access of the training colleges (one- school each day). To inspect tho girls or th© boys of one das*, being accompanied by a mistress or master as tho case may be ; and, if necessary, by

r. st.ud-ent of the Training College, ' u-lio will t heresy I ram the method of filling up cards, etc. To lecture at the. close of the day to the assembled touchers of the school » class ,of which Jias been inspected. These schools -will, if possi-blo, be visited during the last week or tlie fivo to see if the inspection begun on the first day of' inspection iin.s been carried out by the teachers. Buildings, etc., will be inspected on tho same day as the school 1 children. From tho above it will be soon ttait tho preliminary steps are to lw in tho direction of instructing tho tea chops in the subjects cf hygieno, etc. The in turn, will bo able to report upon the general condition of tho children, school building, etc. As time goes on, t'he scope of tho inspection will probably be extended. Meanwhile, one cannot help thinking thai tho vStato is pursuing a right course in taking stops to preserve the health of the rising generation. A report made upon one of the Wellington city schools a year or two back revealed the existence of physical defeefcs in the children in an alarming degree, and this'has no doubt influenced the Government in its determination to bring under t'he notice of parents the condition of their children and the necessity for corrective measures.